Scientist: Cap and trade will hurt Earth
Chelsea Schilling
Oct. 9, 2009
Carbon dioxide emissions are good for Earth and don't cause global warming, a noted geologist and best-selling author is warning Congress
Leighton Steward, author of "Fire, Ice and Paradise," is storming Capitol Hill to convince senators that a cap-and-trade energy bill could harm the environment by reducing the Earth's CO2 levels, according to U.S. News & World Report.
"I'm trying to kill the whole thing," he said. "We are tilting at windmills."
Steward, member of a nonprofit group called Plants Need CO2, plans to meet with several lawmakers this week.
Proponents of the global warming debate claim the planet is warming due to greenhouse gases produced primarily from fossil fuels.
Steward was one of many scientists who accepted that idea.
But now he is bringing Congress "a mountain of studies and scientific evidence that suggest CO2 is not the cause for warming," according to the report.
Not only does Steward argue that carbon dioxide does not cause warming, he says CO2 levels are already too low and that more, not less, is necessary to maintain plant growth.
Steward told U.S. News & World Report's Washington Whispers he believes a cap-and-trade plan to reduce emissions would mean considerable and unnecessary taxes for American taxpayers.
He also told the magazine that reduced CO2 levels would mean slowed food production. Plants grown at elevated CO2 levels produce larger fruit and take in less water, he said.
The scientist also declares CO2 is harmless to humans.
Steward noted that Earth's atmosphere has about 338 parts per million of CO2.
By contrast, he said, CO2 levels on Navy subs aren't considered dangerous until the air has 8,000 parts per million of CO2.